Fix It

There’s this “thing” called the Navy wife syndrome. It seems to occur with reliable frequency whenever hubby is out to sea, especially during deployments. My guess is that it’s not reserved specifically for Navy wives, but that’s the name I choose to give it. 

 

What is this Navy wife syndrome, you ask? Simply put, it’s when everything seems to break, go wrong or somehow fall apart when hubby is gone. Life is a big ball of frustration, and things need fixin’! 

 

There’s a sort of vortex that occurs with the syndrome. When one thing goes wrong, many things go wrong. Broken items, frustrating situations, and the likes seem to line up in single-file formation, attacking the innocent, one right after another. It’s a battle for certain!

 

I have to admit, when one thing after another seems to break, disappoint, go wrong, cause an emergency, etc. it can seem difficult to praise. Sometimes that’s the last thing I want to do when the syndrome hits, yet that is precisely what the Lord recommends as the cure. It’s “the fix.”

 

He’s really been showing me some key points for praise lately. I’d love to share them with you. 

 

In essence, FIX YOUR MIND on the praise-worthy thoughts, not in the land of complaining how heavy the load is, how frustrating the kids are, or how overwhelming life seems to be. Substitute the praise for the syndromes of life.

I believe when we put praise into practice, we will gather up and walk in strength. We will bring glory to God. Our situation will be changed as a result! Why else would the Lord tell us to put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness?  (Isaiah 61:3) Praise makes heaviness flee.

 

A testimony lies on my lips about this very thing. One day I was climbing the stairs in our house when out of the blue, my spirit heard the gentle whisper of the Lord. He said, “Put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” I was taken aback and actually uttered, “Wow! Where did that come from?” Even though the question popped up and I wasn’t currently thinking about the complaining situation, (I was actually looking at pictures of my family on the wall!)… I most assuredly knew where the whisper originated. It was the Lord, and He was reminding me how to battle against the vortex of complaining and grumbling that was growing in our home.

 

As a result I immediately “stopped, dropped and rolled” right into praise. The result? The heaviness fled immediately, as in miraculous fashion. I was astounded at the power of praise.

 

Any spirit of heaviness, whether it’s a vortex, syndrome or some other name, is squelched by praise. The strength of our Lord can simply take care of everything. He is able!

That’s me and you He’s talking about. We have breath and we are called, with every breath, to praise the Lord. 

 

I’ve begun attaching those words, “praise the Lord” into conversation lately. At first I felt like a new-born deer, wobbling on the legs of praise. It felt uncertain and a bit uncomfortable because it wasn’t familiar. With it’s usage however, life with praise is becoming familiar and those spiritual legs are strengthening. I fully expect to mature, gaining strength and steadfastness like an adult deer bounding across a field. Every step will be praise and there will be many as He steadies each step. Praise the Lord!

 

Let’s close with that. Let’s let every breath of ours lift up praise to the Lord as we all gain strength in our step. I challenge you this week: start inserting “praise the Lord” into your situations. I have literally begun saying those exact words, not in a hokey way, but in a warrior way. I say them because He has called for them. I say them because they make the darkness flee. I say them because there is power in praise to fix the heaviness in our lives.

 

Let me know how your challenge goes, and….Praise the Lord!